


You Were All I Wanted (But Not Like This)

by unacaritafeliz



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, angst angst baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-10 13:05:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6986287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unacaritafeliz/pseuds/unacaritafeliz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It'd been six months. Six months since Volpina. Six months since he'd realised that Ladybug cared for Adrien Agreste more than she cared for other civilians. Six months since Adrien Agreste had told Ladybug what Chat Noir never could, that he loved her and wanted to be with her.</p><p>And six months since Ladybug had told Adrien Agreste what she would never tell Chat Noir; that she loved him and wanted to be with him too."</p><p>[He's dating the girl of his dreams. She's dating the boy of hers. They should be happy. They're not.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ladrien

**Author's Note:**

> The love square is the most tragic thing ever.  
> If you don't think so, you're wrong.
> 
>  
> 
> [inspired by the time i cried about this post on tumblr by dessa-nya.](http://dessa-nya.tumblr.com/post/143331774777/ladrieeeeeen-by-dessa)

His transformation lifted the moment his feet touched the floor of his bedroom.

 

"Cheese,' Plagg demanded, simply, settling on Adrien's bed.

 

"Why can't Ladybug's kwami be as lazy as you?" Adrien whined, lobbing a decently sized chunk of cheese at Plagg and rushing across the room to his computer. "They take half long to recharge as you do."

 

"Because it'd be lucky for you if she did," Plagg explained lazily, getting started on his cheese. "And we're bad luck, remember?"

 

Adrien ignored his kwami as he rushed around his room, booting up his computer and dragged his physics text book out of his school bag. Plagg watched him, an amused expression on the kwami's face.

 

"Hey, Adrien?" Plagg chirped from his place. "Anyone ever told you that you're not smart?"

 

"Plagg, we go through this every time," Adrien sighed, setting his textbook upon his desk. He opened a notebook and placed that on the desk too.

 

"That's because you continue to do things that are not smart," Plagg said harshly. His face softened and he added in a far gentler voice, "I really think that you should tell her, kid. It's been long enough."

 

It's been six months. Six months since Volpina. Six months since he'd realised that Ladybug cared for Adrien Agreste more than she cared for other civilians. Six months since Adrien Agreste had told Ladybug what Chat Noir never could, that he loved her and wanted to be with her.

 

And six months since Ladybug had told Adrien Agreste what she would never tell Chat Noir; that she loved him and wanted to be with him too.

 

"Can you just be quiet?" Adrien yelled over his shoulder, moving into his bathroom and splashing water onto his face. "And move from my bed. She'll be here soon."

 

"Right and you two will need the bed right?" Plagg asked, mischievously. The kwami moved off the bed anyway, settling in a less noticeable spot on top of Adrien's bookshelf.

 

"No, because I don't want her to see you," Adrien snapped, walking back into the room. He sank into his desk chair and closed his eyes. He tried to calm his breathing to make it seem like he hadn't spent most of the last hour running around Paris fighting an Akuma (and like he hadn't spent most of the last five minutes running around his room to make it seem like he hadn't spent most of the last hour running around Paris fighting an Akuma). His eyes snapped open when he heard the soft sound of feet touching down in his room.

 

"You're alright!" He exclaimed, looking over his shoulder to greet the new arrival. He got out of his chair. "I saw the Akuma on the news."

 

"Of course I'm alright," Ladybug smirked, walking towards him. "I can deal with Akuma."

 

"And how was Chat Noir?" Adrien asked, trying his best to only sound vaguely interested. "Did he get you out of any tight spots?"

 

He hadn't even meant to make a pun, especially not one that could be taken so wrongly. Luckily, Ladybug hadn't seemed to notice it.

 

"I don't want to talk about Chat, Adrien," Ladybug sighed, falling onto his sofa.

 

"Oh, okay," said Adrien, trying his best to sound like that wasn't completely soul destroying.

 

He'd always imagined an identity reveal somewhere in the first two months of their relationship. And after that, everything would've been easy for them. He'd be able to go out on dates with the girl behind the mask as well as defeating Akuma with the love of his life (and if Chat was lucky, maybe some Ladybug kisses after the fight). But it hadn't ever worked out that way. Ladybug would never talk about Akuma battles, and she'd never even mention Chat unless he brought up his leather-clad alter ego first, and even then she'd switch subjects quickly. Coupled with her frequent rejection of Chat since they'd met, it had led Adrien to the belief that she'd would never love Chat Noir.

 

And to the belief that she'd never love him if she knew he was Chat Noir.

 

Ladybug took a step closer to him and Adrien's breathing stopped for a moment. Even though this relationship was far from the perfect one he'd envisioned, he'd never let it go. No one could do this to him like Ladybug could.

 

"Je t'aime, Adrien," she whispered, before pressing her lips gently against his.

 

Adrien ignored the voice in his head that retorted "no, you don't" in favour of moving a hand to her jaw, prolonging the contact between their lips. Kissing Ladybug was the sweetest thing he'd experienced in his whole life, but lately he just couldn't make it sweet enough.

 

"Je t'aime, Ladybug," he replied, when she pulled apart. The same words he'd told her after Volpina. He'd meant them six months ago and he still meant them now. He doubted there would ever be a time he wouldn't love her.

 

If only the reverse could be true too.

 

Ladybug smiled, but Adrien couldn't help the feeling that it didn't reach her eyes. Maybe it was just a trick of her mask. Before he could look long enough, she reconnected their lips, burying her hands into his blonde hair. It lasted maybe a minute, before Ladybug's miraculous beeped and she quickly moved away from him.

 

"The transformation never lasts long after an Akuma," Ladybug sighed. "But even so that was far too short. I must have been more tired than I thought."

 

Adrien knew that it was, in fact, her kwami that was too tired to keep up the transformation. But he wasn't supposed to know that. She didn't even trust him with the knowledge of how she could transform, much less the knowledge of who she was before she did.

 

"I'll visit you on Monday, Adrien," Ladybug said, standing up. "Hopefully there won't be an Akuma and I can stay longer. Maybe we can get pizza and watch a movie?"

 

He wanted to ask her to stay, to watch the movie now, to eat pizza now, rather than waiting for Monday. His request died on his lips. He couldn't ask her. She wouldn't stay.

 

They walked to the window, hands entwined. She gave his hand a small squeeze before she threw her yoyo with her other hand and stepped outside his window. She was gone as soon as she'd arrived.

 

Adrien face planted onto his bed. Telling her would be losing her, but not telling her meant he could never truly have her and she could never truly have him. He didn't know which one was worse. He groaned. Ladybug was meant to be perfect, and this was anything but. He felt a soft weight land on his head as Plagg buried himself into Adrien's hair. Adrien had always thought his kwami did this purely to annoy him, but he was starting to feel as if it was done to comfort him. Plagg had never really been good with words.

 

"I know it's hard, kid," Plagg said, gently. "But you have to tell her. Neither of you can be happy until you do."

 

Well, Plagg had never really been good with words until now, at least.


	2. LadyNoir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Everything stopped.
> 
> His heart, his lungs, his brain; none of it seemed to be working anymore. Every part of his body shut down and he barely registered the clunk of his baton hitting the ground as it slipped from his fingers or the breath he exhaled as his body forgot how to breathe. Even Paris seemed to go deadly quiet all around him. He couldn't see anything but her. He couldn't hear anything except the words echoing in his mind.
> 
> Not you."
> 
> [Chat tries to work out how his Lady feels about him. He probably should've stayed quiet.]

Chat didn't exactly understand the point of patrol. It seemed the only thing Le Papillon was actually good at was causing Akuma at the most inconvenient time possible for Adrien, he certainly never sent them out when the superhero duo was suited up and waiting for action. Apart from the occasional petty theft or teenage rebellion, patrols were pretty quiet in terms of criminal activity, but Chat never complained. He'd never pass up the opportunity to talk to his lady, even when things were... well, the way they were.  
  
Besides, the more time he spent with her, the more opportunities he had to casually slip "by the way I'm actually your boyfriend Adrien Agreste. Please don't break up with me because I'm also Chat Noir" into their conversation, right?

 

He landed behind Ladybug, his feet softly touching the ground. The superheroine didn’t even acknowledge his arrival. She was staring out across Paris, buried deep in her thoughts.  
  
"Good evening, My Lady," Chat said, snapping her out of her thoughts.  
  
"Chat, I told you, you can't call me that anymore," Ladybug sighed, eyes snapping over to look at him.  
  
"I know, I know," Chat backtracked, throwing his hands up defensively. "Force of habit. Sorry, LB. I know there's now another boy lucky enough to call you his lady."  
  
Chat's eyes surveyed Ladybug's face intently, trying to decipher her expression. She used to light up at any mention of her boyfriend, but there was no joy flashing across her face this time. Her eyebrows knitted themselves together in a frown. Chat's heart sunk.  
  
"S-something wrong, LB?" Chat asked, almost too scared to hear the answer.  
  
"Nothing that concerns you, Chat," Ladybug said, after a pause. She shook her head at him. "Come on, let's go patrol."  
  
Ladybug threw her yoyo, swinging to the next building and then the next one and then the next one. Frowning, Chat extended his baton and followed. Patrol was meant to be a good time, filled with laughter and teasing and affectionate nicknames (she'd always denied that her various kitten-related names for him counted as affectionate, but she'd also stopped using them once she'd started dating Adrien). Patrol wasn't supposed to be sharp statements and melancholy looks and awkward pauses. Patrol wasn't supposed to be like this.  
  
But then, almost everything had changed since Adrien had asked out Ladybug. Being Chat Noir was the most freeing things Adrien had ever experienced, but since he'd started dating Ladybug, being Chat felt like being trapped. He couldn't relax anymore; he couldn't turn his brain off and stop thinking about her for a moment. He couldn’t stop thinking, overthinking, about what he could say to convince Ladybug she could be happy with him, with both of him. He couldn't stop thinking that, maybe, if Adrien couldn't find a way to work the identity reveal into a conversation, Chat Noir could. But he had to know just how she felt about him, about both of him, before he could.  
  
He wouldn't, he couldn't, risk losing her. She meant too much to him.  
  
"So, LB," Chat asked, in what he hoped was a casual tone. "Just out of curiosity - this boyfriend of yours, does he know he's dating Ladybug? Or does he only know your civilian identity?"  
  
Ladybug’s yoyo, which she had been in the process of throwing, missed its mark. She looked at him, eyes wide for a moment, before she scowled.  
  
"No," she said.  
  
"Don't you trust him?" Chat asked, internally berating himself. Why was he asking a question when he didn't want to know the answer?  
  
"Of course I trust him," Ladybug snapped.  
  
"Then why won't you tell him?" Chat asked.  
  
Ladybug looked at him seriously for a moment, as if she was wondering what answer to give him.   
  
"Same reason I won't tell you," Ladybug said after a moment. "He doesn't need to know, and it would probably be dangerous to tell him. It's better off if he didn't know He was dating Ladybug."   
  
It was a lie. Her boyfriend knew he was dating Ladybug. It was her civilian identity, her safer identity, that she was keeping secret from him. Chat ignored the ache that pricked at his chest as he continued to follow her along their route, jumping to the next building and then the next one and then the next one.   
  
"Do you love him?" Chat found himself asking, as they touched down in front of the Eiffel Tower. His mouth seemed to be moving independently of his brain. "Your boyfriend, I mean. Do you love him?"  
  
"What's with all the questions about my boyfriend, Chat?!" Ladybug yelled, turning around to face him. "Stop trying to make me doubt how I feel about him!"  
  
"I'm not..." Chat started.  
  
"Do you think I'm going to suddenly wake up and realise that I want you instead?" she continued. "Because I won't, okay? I love him, Chat, not you."  
    
Everything stopped.  
  
His heart, his lungs, his brain; none of it seemed to be working anymore. Every part of his body shut down and he barely registered the clunk of his baton hitting the ground as it slipped from his fingers or the breath he exhaled as his body forgot how to breathe. Even Paris seemed to go deadly quiet all around him. He couldn't see anything but her. He couldn't hear anything except the words echoing in his mind.  
  
_Not you._  
  
"I'm sorry, Chat" Ladybug muttered. "That was out of line. I-I didn't..."  
  
"Yeah, you did," he said.  
  
All his systems rebooted at once. Tears filled his eyes and the ache in his chest threatened to swallow him whole. His limbs were too heavy. He was shaking and he couldn’t stop. He was right. She could only love Adrien Agreste; she could only love him on the surface. She couldn’t love what was underneath. And she didn’t want to.  
  
"Chaton..." Ladybug started, taking a step toward him. She sounded emotional and that wasn't fair. She wasn’t allowed to be emotional about this.  
  
Wordlessly, Chat snatched up his baton and jumped to the next building, and then the next and the next, moving faster than he ever had in his life. He was crying now, tears streaming down his face, and one part of him acknowledged that it wasn't a good look, Parisian hero Chat Noir having an absolute breakdown, but a bigger part of him didn't care.  He just kept running. He wasn't even completely sure where he was heading. He didn't want to be alone and he momentarily considered stopping off at Nino's, or Alya's or even at the Dupain-Cheng bakery but what would he tell them? What could he tell them?  
  
Chat threw himself through his window, transformation dropping as Adrien fell into a ball on the ground, gasping for air as his shoulders shook and his hands reached up to try stem the flow of tears rushing from his eyes.  
  
"Hey, hey, Adrien, it's okay." said Plagg. It was the first time in their relationship that Plagg's first post-transformation words weren't cheese related.  
  
"She doesn't love me," Adrien choked, as Plagg nuzzled against his hair and his cheek and his hands; anywhere the kwami could reach him. "She won't ever love me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After I wrote this I searched everywhere for [this post by sakura-rose12](http://sakura-rose12.tumblr.com/post/140672810527/more-your-body-betrays-you-when-youre-alone) because I was reminded about how heartbreaking it was. Writing this was too real.


	3. Marichat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Chat Noir jumped out his window and moved swiftly, jumping from rooftop to rooftop with his baton. The cold air and fast pace of his run had always helped him to clear his mind but he was too worried about running into Ladybug to properly relax. His mind was running in overdrive and he couldn't stop it concocting elaborate and horrific ways in which his relationship with her could end. Just as he was wrapping up a particularly painful hypothetical conversation with his lady, he saw a figure on a rooftop balcony, almost losing his footing at the sight of the dark-haired pigtails.
> 
> It wasn't his lady. It was Marinette Dupain Cheng."
> 
> [Chat feels lonely, Marinette feels guilty and they both feel like the other deserves so much better that this.]

Adrien knew he had to tell her.

It wasn't something he could delay any longer. He couldn't keep waiting for Ladybug to fall in love with Chat Noir independently of being in love with Adrien because it was never going to happen; either she learned to love Chat because he was the other half of Adrien Agreste or she never loved him at all.

His eyes flitted over to his computer, where Ladybug smiled from his screensaver, (downloaded straight from the Ladyblog, Alya certainly could produce wonderful content). Adrien sighed, slumping further into his chair. Maybe he should just be thankful that she loved him at all, instead of despairing about how, no matter how charming and funny Chat Noir tried to be, he hadn't impressed her at all.

Adrien's hands curled into fists, fingers squeezing tightly to try and distract from the pain growing in his chest. His room suddenly felt much too small for him. He had to get out.

"Plagg," he called a bit too harshly, leaping out of his chair and startling the dozing kwami. "Transform me."

Chat Noir jumped out his window and moved swiftly, jumping from rooftop to rooftop with his baton. The cold air and fast pace of his run had always helped him to clear his mind but he was too worried about running into Ladybug to properly relax. His mind was running in overdrive and he couldn't stop it concocting elaborate and horrific ways in which his relationship with her could end. Just as he was wrapping up a particularly painful hypothetical conversation with his lady, he saw a figure on a rooftop balcony, almost losing his footing at the sight of the dark-haired pigtails.

It wasn't his lady. It was Marinette Dupain Cheng.

Chat could almost hear Plagg berating him. Going over to Marinette would be a bad idea; she barely liked Adrien, she barely knew Chat and wasn't she kind of friends with Ladybug? But Chat felt so empty, and Marinette was always so nice, even to people she didn't particularly know or like.

And he really didn't want to be alone right now.

"You're out late, Purrrr-incess," Chat remarked, dropping down onto her balcony railing. He was trying his hardest to sound like Chat's usual calm, collected, flirtatious self and not like he was fighting an internal war. He wasn't sure he was doing a very good job at it.

"Ch-Chat Noir!" Marinette exclaimed, flinching as he snapped her out of her thoughts."W-what are you doing here? Are you okay? Is there an Akuma?"

"I was just out on patrol, you know?" Chat said, casually. "Saving Paris and all that, and I saw you on your balcony and thought I'd come check up on my favourite temporary partner. Do... Do you want me to leave?"

"No, please stay!" Marinette replied, yelling her words her hurry to say them. "I-I mean, it's not every day that the great Chat Noir lands on my balcony. It's such an honour, of course."

Chat actually smiled at that. He always got the feeling that Marinette wasn't being completely sincere when she complimented him to his face, but he appreciated that she put in the effort to make him feel important. Besides, he'd overheard her defending Chat Noir's importance to Paris in a whispered argument with Alya one day. He knew she liked him.

She was the only one.

"I'd offer you a penny for your thoughts, Princess," Chat continued, trying to distract himself before he could get carried away with that thought. "But, there's not much room in this catsuit for a wallet."

Marinette smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.The charming act Chat was trying to put on dropped immediately as he realised his friend was actually upset about something.

"What's wrong, Marinette?" he asked.

"Nothing, Chat," she replied, talking more to the air beside him than to Chat himself. "I've just had a pretty tough week."

"Me too, Princess" Chat said, jumping off the railing and sitting cross legged on the ground against the railing. "Let's talk it out?"

Marinette hesitated and Chat reached up and closed his fingers around her wrist. Everything slowed down as his eyes met hers. He gave her arm a small tug and she moved to the ground without complaint, sitting cross legged in front of him. His fingers lingered against her skin for a moment, before he quickly withdrew his hands, settling them comfortably on his thighs.

"You first?" Chat suggested.

"I..." Marinette started. She stopped and buried her face in her hands. "I just keep messing everything up."

"Hey, I'm sure that's not true," Chat said.

"It is," Marinette continued. "I can't even bring myself to tell my boyfriend..."

"Boyfriend?" Chat exclaimed, claws involuntarily digging into his leather-clad. How had he not known Marinette had a boyfriend? Surely Alya would've mentioned something about it to him. Unless the blogger didn't know about this secret boyfriend either? Chat frowned; he didn't like this boy who had to be a secret from Marinette's friends.

"Is it that unbelievable that I have a boyfriend?" Marinette asked, eyes snapping up to meet his. Her hands fell away from her face.

"No, of course, not, Princess," Chat said, quickly. "It's just, that I'm surprised you are able to even think of another man when I'm right here. But tell me, what can't you tell your b-boyfriend?"

"I just... He doesn't really know he's dating me," Marinette started. "I mean, I, uh, met him online. And so he thinks he's dating this really cool girl, and he's not. He's just dating boring, pathetic Marinette Dupain Cheng."

She sniffled and Chat realised with a jolt that she had tears in her eyes. His heart broke for what seemed like the millionth time this week, but for a completely different reason. Marinette didn't deserve this. Marinette, who was sweet and pure and kind to everyone she ever met. Marinette, wo was the first true friend he ever made. She deserved so much more than this.

"You're not boring or pathetic, Mari" Chat said.

"And I was so upset about it, I yelled at my best friend," Marinette continued, ignoring his interjected

"Alya?" Chat asked, surprised. If Marinette and Alya were fighting, he and Nino needed to do something about that and soon. Marinette and Alya were perfect for each other in every way, he wouldn't let them lose each other. "I mean, she runs the Ladyblog right? I've seen you with her a few times, so I just assumed you were best friends."

"We are," Marinette said. "But, uh no, not Alya, another friend of mine. I... I said some terrible things to him that I didn't mean and then he left me and I know he must hate me and I don't want him to hate me, Chat."

Marinette buried her face in her hands, sobbing. Chat hesitated, before leaning forward and pressing his lips gently into her hair. She looked up at him through her hair.

"Your best friend isn't going to hate you," Chat said, softly, his eyes never moving from hers. "And your boyfriend isn't going to leave you if you let him know the real you. They are both so incredibly lucky to be yours, Marinette. You are strong, and confident, and beautiful. And I'm know they must think so too."

"Why are you being so nice to me, Chat?" Marinette asked.

"Because you deserve it, Marinette," Chat said. "You deserve so much more than this."

Marinette paused for a moment before throwing herself at him. Chat almost fell backwards as she collided with him, throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his neck. Chat hesitated, but moved his arms to envelope her, pulling her closer to him.

After a moment, Marinette pulled back, wiping at her eyes. She offered him a small smile.

"T-Thanks, Chat," she said, shakily. "Tell me about your tough week."

Oh. He'd almost forgotten about it. 

"It's, uh," Chat started, pulling at the leather of his suit, avoiding Marinette's eyes. "I just... Uh, my g-girlfriend told me she didn't love me."

"Wait, your girlfriend?" Marinette questioned.

"I mean, she didn't know she was telling me," Chat continued. "She's technically dating my civilian self, and she told Chat. But I guess it's kind of my fault for not telling her my identity sooner but I was just scared. I thought she wouldn't love me if she knew who I was and she doesn't. It hurts so much, Marinette."

"Oh," Marinette said, so softly he almost didn't hear her.

His eyes were tearing up again. He grasped at his arms, and close his eyes, trying to stop the feelings from appearing again. He couldn't keep getting this upset. He had to learn to control his emotions.

"Chat?" Marinette whispered, softly, lifting his chin up to meet her eyes. Her face was so close to his and she was looking at him curiously. Her eyes were wandering his face, as if the answers to the universe were buried in his skin. There were tears in her eyes too. Chat wondered what they were doing there.

"Uh, Princess?" he asked.

"She's made such a huge mistake," Marinette murmured, moving away from him. "She doesn't deserve you."

"No," Chat said, with a smirk, "I don't deserve her."

She opened her mouth to speak but she was soon cut off by the beeping of his miraculous.

"I've got to go," Chat said, standing and stretching himself out. "But thanks for being with me tonight. I appreciated the company."

"Chat..." Marinette started.

"Stay safe, Princess," Chat mumbled, before extending his baton and jumping into the night.


	4. Adrinette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Ladybug was instantly swallowed up by pink light. It almost hurt to keep looking at her but Adrien couldn't look away. As the pink light faded, he was greeted by dark pigtails and blue eyes and the sprinkle of freckles across her nose. It was almost as if nothing had changed.
> 
> "I told you I messed everything up," Marinette said, softly.
> 
> But, of course, everything had changed."
> 
> [Adrien and Marinette have a conversation they should've had a long time ago].

Adrien didn't want to stay in his room. It was Monday, the day Ladybug had promised she'd be over for pizza and a movie. Today was the end for this charade, today was the last day Chat Noir kept his secret from his lady, and it absolutely terrified him thinking of what would happen not only to his relationship, to his partnership as the superhero duo of Paris. To make matters worse, Plagg wasn't even around to talk to. He was pretty sure the kwami was hiding to remove the temptation of transforming and leaving the room. It was probably a good thing, he wasn’t sure he would stay it the ability to leave was so plainly in front of him.

Adrien sighed and fell face-first onto his bed. He heard Plagg snicker somewhere, but didn't bother looking for him. He was really going to do this and he needed to come up with a battle plan before she arrived. When was the best time to tell her – before, during, or after the movie? The optimal time was “never”, but never wasn’t an option right now. Groaning, Adrien turned to face the ceiling. After, he decided. He'd tell her after the movie. They'd have one more night together, before everything fell apart.

"Uh, hey Adrien?" Ladybug's voice suddenly called, shaking him from his thoughts. Adrien jumped. He hadn't even noticed she’d arrived.

"H-hey, Ladybug," Adrien stuttered, jumping out of bed. "Sorry! I lost track of the time. I haven't ordered the pizza yet, let me just get the menu and I'll call."

"Adrien, wait," called Ladybug. "I wanted to talk to you about something first, Mi-Minou."

Everything stopped.

She'd stuttered trying to say the word, but he knew he hadn't misheard her. Her face confirmed it. She looked absolutely terrified.

"What did you just call me?" Adrien asked.

"Y-You're Chat Noir,” Ladybug said. “Aren't you, A-Adrien?" 

It was amazing that even though he had resolved to tell her everything, every single part of his brain was screaming at him to deny it. Even so, it seemed like his mouth was working independently of his brain.

"How did you know?" He asked.

"I lied to Chat Noir," Ladybug said, "I told him I didn't love him when I did. He left in tears. The next day Marinette tried to comfort him and he told her that his girlfriend said she didn't love him. I was confused at first but the more I thought about it the more sense it made. You're Chat Noir."

"But, how do you know what I told Marinette?" Adrien questioned. "Did she tell you about the other night?"

No, Adrien, she... uh, I..." Ladybug stuttered. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before muttering, "Tikki, revert me."

Ladybug was instantly swallowed up by pink light. It almost hurt to keep looking at her but Adrien couldn't look away. As the pink light faded, he was greeted by dark pigtails and blue eyes and the sprinkle of freckles across her nose. It was almost as if nothing had changed.

"I told you I messed everything up," Marinette said, softly.

But, of course, everything had changed.

"Marinette?" Adrien said. "You're Ladybug?"

"Wow, great observation, lover boy," Plagg muttered, finally emerging from whatever hiding spot he had chosen.

"Plagg!" exclaimed a small red creature Adrien hadn't noticed yet. He guessed it must have been Ladybug's kwami. She flew over to Plagg and gently pushed him from the room. Plagg turned around nodded at Adrien before he left.

His room had always seemed too big and too empty, but never quite like this. Adrien glanced back at Marinette who was staring at the floor, arms wrapped around her as if she were trying to make herself even smaller. This was it; this was the great love story of Ladybug and Chat Noir. No more masks, no more secrets - just two kids with absolutely no idea what to say to each other.

"I didn't know," Adrien said, softly, more to himself than Marinette. "How did I not know? You were always right there. Why didn't I see it?"

"I didn't either see it either," Marinette said, moving to sit on the couch. "I should have known. It just makes so much sense."

Adrien collapsed on the couch beside her, unsure of what to say. Marinette was Ladybug. The more he thought of it, the more it made sense. She always disappeared during akuma attacks. She was every bit as strong and courageous and beautiful as Ladybug was. And he'd always been inexplicably drawn to Marinette; he'd always really wanted to be closer with her. He’d just thought it was the fact that he wanted another friend, but now he could see it was more than that. Of course she was Ladybug.

"You said before you lied about not loving Chat," Adrien said softly. "Do you really love Chat? Or do you just think you do now that you know he's me."

"I think I've liked Chat for a while now," Marinette sighed. "I just tried to ignore it because I wanted Adrien instead. I tried to convince myself I didn't like Chat, because I was scared I would eventually pick him. Chat seemed to like Marinette. You never even noticed me."

"I noticed you," Adrien said, turning to look at her. "I've always been drawn to you. I just tried to give you space because I thought you hated me. You could never even talk to me."

"That's because I had a huge crush on you," Marinette said, clearly trying to break the tension.

"Yeah, well, I didn’t know that, did I?” Adrien laughed, nervously. "I just wanted to be your friend so badly. Since the day I met you, actually."

"But you didn't love me," Marinette said, softly. It wasn't a question.

"I think I was just too caught up in loving Ladybug to consider it," Adrien admitted. "I think I was too caught up in loving Ladybug to want to consider it. Just like you and Chat."

She didn’t respond to that. She just sighed and buried her face in her hands. Adrien didn’t know what to do or say. He almost wished Plagg would come back and make some inappropriate comment just so they had something to say.

"We did this all backward," Marinette said, finally. "We should've had this conversation before we tried a relationship."

"We should have but we didn't," said Adrien. "So what do we do now?"  
The pause between them was short, but it felt like an eternity.

"Maybe we should… take a break?" Marinette suggested.

Adrien's eyes looked to her. It was the same answer he'd been thinking, it was the only answer that made sense, but somehow it hurt even more to hear her say it. From the way she was looking, she felt the same. Her eyes were shut and her arms were wrapped so tightly around herself that he was sure her fingers would leave imprints on her skin.

"Maybe we should," said Adrien. "I just… I don’t want things to become awkward between us.”

"It won't!' Marinette said suddenly, taking his hand into hers. "We just both need time to figure out how we really feel about each other, all of each other. But even if we decide this isn’t romantic, you are still my partner and you are still my best friend and I still love you, Chaton. "

She pressed his hand to her mouth. It was a gesture Chat had done to Ladybug countless times, but this was completely different. All Adrien's worries about losing her evaporated. The story of Ladybug and Chat Noir would be a love story, one way or another. Time would work everything out.

“I’m glad it was you, Marinette” Adrien said as she let his hand go.

“And I’m glad it was you, Chaton,” Marinette said, smiling at him. “But who would’ve guessed that the Adrien Agreste was such a giant dork? And that he makes such terrible puns?”

“Hey, my puns are pawsitively purrfect!” Adrien protested.

She laughed, looking simulatenously so much like Marinette and Ladybug that Adrien was once again struck by just how he hadn’t realised it sooner.

"Will you stay, Mari?" Adrien asked. "We can still order pizza and watch a movie? Or if you like I can kick your ass at Ultimate Mecha Strike III?"

"Are you kidding me?" Marinette said, raising an eyebrow at him. "I'm going to annihilate you, Kitty!"

"Adrien, can you order a cheese pizza please?" Plagg said, suddenly crashing back into the room.

"Plagg!" chastised the red kwami, ducking in after him.

"H-how long were you guys there?" Adrien asked.

"Not long," the red kwami said. She wasn’t entirely convincing. "We didn't hear very much at all! I'm Tikki by the way! It's nice to finally meet you, Adrien! You’re even prettier than Marinette said you were!"

“Tikki!” Marinette yelled indignantly as Tikki nuzzled affectionately against Adrien’s cheek.

"Hey Plagg," Adrien called, laughing. "Why can't you be more like Tikki, huh?"

"Why can't you be more like Marinette, huh Adrien?" shot back Plagg. The cat kwami flew up to Adrien, pressing himself briefly against Adrien's cheek before adding in a hushed voice. "It's going to work out alright between you two, kid. Trust me."

Adrien looked at Marinette, who was laughing as Tikki nuzzled her cheek.

"I know it will, Plagg," Adrien smiled. “Of course it will.”


End file.
